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No. 284,260. Patented Sept. 4, 1.883.

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y UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE.

cHARLES w. TOWNSEND, OE CHARLESTON, SOUTH OAROLHIA.'

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 284,260, datedSeptember 4, 1883.

4 1 u Application filed May 9, 18.83. (No model.)

T alZZ whom it may 'con/cern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. TOWN- SEND, ofthe city of Charleston,county of Charleston, and State of South Carolina, have invented anewand useful improvement in the construction, arrangement, and`combination of the pins, 1inks,`and gear for coupling railroad or othercars, of which the following is a specification. l The invention relatestothe construction and arrangementxof the` pins, links, and gear forcoupling railroad or other cars.

The object of my invention is to provide a combination ofcoupling-block, pins and links, and coupling-piece which willautomatically conform to any usual adjustment of cars at `either end,and automatically couple and uncouple the Same, and 'also to protectSuch mechanism in lits workingv from theV destructive strain, pressure,and jar incident thereto.

My invention consists in the arrangement of two cylindrical pins workingon spiral springs encircling them, at right angles to each other in thesaine plane, insertedinto a solid block, so adjusted that they meet, andeither will be forced out by its spring if the other is forced in; anditalso consists in applying to this arrangement a solid coupling-piecewith links projecting at either end.

It finally consists in the particular construction and arrangement ofthe coupling-block with its pins working on spiral springs, and thecoupling-piece ,with its links.

" In the` accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of referenceindicate like parts,

`Figure l is a side view, and Fig. 2 `is an end view, ofthecoupling-block and pins working on spiral springs at right angleswhenthe per pendicular Spring and pin are down, Figs. 3 and 4 are a side andend view, respectively, ofthe Same when the perpendicular pin and springare up and horizontal pin and spring are out-z'. e., when it isuncoupled and `in position for coupling. Fig.` 5-is a view lookingdownwardfrom above, and Fig. 6 is a horizontalview of the solidcoupling-piece with its projecting links.

Thea-nd block A 1v, `which is to be atl tached to both ends of a car, iscut out so as to leave C, E, T, X,F, and Y W, hollow openings, Figs. land 3. l Circular openings are then bored therein at right angles toeach other, in

the same plane, for the insertion of the pins P and H. A spiral wirespring encircles each pin P and H. One end of this spiral-wire springis` inserted into its pin at the pointJ, where it isheld, and wherebythe perpendicular pin P cannot descend below frame Y Y', and horizontalpin Hcannot be forced out of Y W beyondpoint J. The other end of spiralspring Wire is loose. These spiral springs act, the

one to push downward and hold down pin P,VV

the `other to push outward and hold out pin H, and each will actautomatically when the other is closed. Pin P passes, also, by a circular opening through frame Y Y', and the spiral Spring encirclingpin Pworks wholly within the frame Y Y', against the upper wall of which itsloosewire end rests, Figs. 4, 2.

In the same way the spiral Spring encircling l pin H works whollywithinthe hollow Open- Q is a small .hole in pin P at a point on a line withthe top of the frame Y Y", when pin pin P up, if necessary, when it israised for un'coupling. l

P is up, for insertion of a small pin to hold y D The body ofthecouplingpiece is an octagol nal-faced solid, each Vhalf of which, .ifbisected, would t loosely into hollow opening C E F D, withcoupling-links L and N projecting on either side, Figs. 5 and 6, in thesame plane, shaped as sen1i-ellipses to make coupling easy, and to givethem play when coupled. The solid plate O passes through this body-pieceat right angles'to plane of links, Fig. 6, lis of the height of A B, andacts, when coupled, to press against A C above and B B below when carsjam together, and will thereby keep links, springs, and pins free fromjar, strain, and pressure. e

enough to hold loosely pin P down, 'ring L inserted, and plate I backagainst wall T X. All of the foregoing blocks, pieces, pins,

or other metal, or Wood.

The opening E I X F is made deep, e

The operation of the device is as follows: When link L is inserted andpressed into jaw C D, (see position for coupling, Fig. 3,) it will beguided up plane D F or down plane C E 5 into opening E F, and then linkL will press against the plate I, attached to end of pin H, and, shovingit in, will force pin H back (the spiral spring encircling pin H closingunder the pressure) until plate I comes close up 1"'o against the wall TX. Pin P, the support of plate I being thus withdrawn, will, under theautomatic action of its spiral spring, be forced down and through theincoming link L, securely making it fast and holding it within 15 jaw EF. To uncouple the cars it is only necessary to pull up pin P, when pinH, with plate I attached, under the automatic action of the spiralspring encircling it, will be forced out, throwing link L out of the jawE F, and 2o plate I, pin H being fully out, will stop directly under pinP, and the device will, without moving, again be 'in position forcoupling upon insertion of link L. v

What I claim is- In combination with the pins working on 25 spiralsprings at right angles, as described, the coupling-piece having ateither end a coupling-link or semi-elliptical ring, the body of thiscoupling-piece being an octagonal-faced solid, through whose centerpasses at right 3o anglea solid plate, substantially as described,whereby the coupling-link is always kept up and out on a horizontalplane, or nearly so, in position for easy adjustment to and insertioninto opposite coupling-jaw., whether directly 35 on its level or alittle above or below, and whereby the pressure and jar, after couplingis effected, is mainly confined to such solid plateand such solidcoupling-piece and solid block, as set forth.

' J. P. KJBRYAN, F. S. MoHUGi-L

